The Right Place by Aussie Author Carla Carusa, is a romance/family drama and and is set in Adelaide.
This book had me wanting more. I totally enjoyed every page especially the pages where the recipes were. I had to stop myself from getting up and cooking these mouthwatering recipes. I was left salivating at every page turn.
Carla Caruso is a new author to me, now she is on my radar and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories.

Another Aussie author to watch! Carla Caruso has put together a beautiful story in 'The Right Place', a book about family, romance, and yummy FOOD!

Nella comes back to her hometown following the death of her beloved grandmother (or nonna) Esta. She has inherited the market garden and has come back to say a final goodbye before packing up the property and selling it. Unfortunately it is leased by her grumpy neighbour, twin brother of her first love, Adrian. However, when she starts to help him with his business, she discovers he may not be quite so grumpy after all. And in a side story - back in the 1950's, Esta, her husband, and daughter have moved to Australia. Not understanding English and being totally out of her comfort zone, she has to navigate her way through the transition to this foreign country. There is lots of heartache to deal with along the way.

This book made me really hungry! It has Italian recipes throughout in between chapters which look amazing, and they also add a really homely atmosphere! They also relate to things that the characters were talking about or what they themselves were cooking in the book. I thought this was really clever and added a new unique dimension to it.

I thought the romance aspect was very sweet. The tension between the characters was palpable at times and I loved the history between them all.

The past story of Esta I didn't find quite so engaging as the present story, but I still enjoyed it. Its interesting reading about the Italian culture and what life may have been like for those who were emigrating back in that time.

Nella was a great character. She was strong willed and I really enjoy main characters that are grounded. I also really liked the twins. Both of them! Their interactions with Nella and amongst themselves were full of drama and I loved figuring out what was really going on.

Would I recommend The Right Place?
It was a great Australian/Italian romance with some family drama and beautiful Aussie scenery throughout. Would be perfect for a women's fiction fan, especially Australian women's fiction!

Many thanks to Harlequin via NetGalley for a copy of The Right Place to review.

The cover of this book is beautifully eye-catching but I also read it because fellow blogger Theresa Smith absolutely sang its praises and we do like quite a lot of the same books so I thought this was something I might enjoy. Also as I’ve mentioned lots of times before, my husband’s family are Italian and although my father-in-law didn’t have a market garden, he turned most of their standard quarter acre block into a huge family garden, growing enough vegetables to feed his large extended family and enough Roma tomatoes to make 200 long neck bottles of their own passata-style sauce every year. At last count there was probably a couple thousand bottles in his garage! So I knew a lot of this would be familiar and relatable as well. I’ve always envied my father-in-law’s garden and the idea of inheriting something similar to what Nella does in this book is very appealing.

When Nella inherits the property, she’s not really interested in keeping it. She’s long left the suburbs of Adelaide behind for Melbourne and a career in fashion. The house her grandmother left her will be just the kick she needs to reboot her career after her last venture didn’t go quite right. So she plans to briefly stay to clear out the house of her Nonna’s things and get it ready for sale. Unfortunately it comes with a slight complication – her Nonna’s land is leased to the next door neighbour to double his market garden and Adrian Tomaso is someone Nella wants to avoid but not disadvantage. But the longer she spends at the place that holds so many memories for her, the more it begins to get under her skin. Soon she is enthused with ideas on how to help Adrian spread the word of his organic vegetables and bring in more business. She cannot cook but when she finds a book of her Nonna’s recipes, she’s inspired to learn using the freshest of produce grown right outside her back door. And then there’s Adrian himself, definitely a drawcard once they put their differences aside.

This is a beautifully written book that showcases not only Nella’s story of returning home and discovering herself all over again, but also the story of her grandmother, Esta who came to Australia as a young bride after WWII. Actually probably similar to the time in which my mother-in-law made the journey out here as a young, unaccompanied teen to join her older sister who was already living here, married and with several children. Because I’ve heard my MIL tell her story so many times, I could relate to Esta as well, who struggled in this completely alien environment with little in the way of support. She also faced several devastating personal losses which were heartbreaking but I enjoyed seeing her friendship with her neighbour grow and flourish and last years. Nella spent many summers with her grandmother, much the way I did as a child and it’s the sort of thing that forms a pretty tight bond and Nella’s grief is evident on every page as she faces a life without this woman that shaped her. I loved the way she connected with her grandmother again through cooking her recipes – and all of those recipes I’ve seen grace my mother-in-law’s kitchen on numerous occasions. I feel as though that generation of women, no matter where they are from, cook in an entirely different way. My own nan, in her 80s now, is an amazing cook with a stack of tried and true recipes she probably learned from her mother and grandmothers that reside in her head ready to be pulled out at any relevant moment. She honestly wouldn’t ever consider chucking something frozen into the oven and she’s never ordered take away in her life. She’s written down a few of her baking recipes for me and I’ve started a book myself because my mother doesn’t know and to be honest, isn’t really interested in any of these recipes.

I enjoyed this so much – in fact I really only had one tiny bother and that was what Adrian uses as a base to criticise Nella. The fact that she left town and moved to Melbourne and also that she comes back at first wanting to sell the inherited property and go back to her life, which to be honest, I don’t think is anything to be critical over. Not everyone is destined to stay where they grew up. Some fly away and return, having discovered that where they’re meant to be is where they started. But it’s not fair to judge her because she wanted something different and went after it. Adrian seems quite bitter about it and what does it matter? She tried something she thought she was passionate about, maybe it didn’t quite work out for her and inheriting her Nonna’s property gave her some different priorities and she learned quite a lot about herself. She’s only about thirty in the book, so that’s really still quite young and you’re still learning so much about yourself at that age. So it did actually bother me quite a bit, him saying like she thinks she’s too good for that area. When Adrian wasn’t retreating to that, I really did quite like him and the conflict around him and his brother was really well done. I sort of understood perhaps his feelings of rejection but it just seemed like a really snarky thing to try and pick on and judge her for.

But that’s a small thing really. For me, this was all about Nella’s journey and that acceptance of herself and what her dreams were and that coming home feeling. I really enjoyed all of the recipes, the focus on the fresh ingredients and Esta’s story woven in was lovely as well. This was very enjoyable and although I’ve read and enjoyed Carla Caruso’s books before, this was my favourite so far and I’ll be looking forward to her next book.

8/10

Oh, this was such a feel good book.

With a failed relationship and fashion boutique in Melbourne, Nella decides it’s the perfect time to return to her beloved Nonna’s home ‘Torrente Blu’. Her Nonna Esta, has recently passed away and left the property to Nella. Even though she has happy memories visiting her Nonna and growing up with the Tomaso twins next door, it’s complicated because the land is being leased by Adrian Tomaso, the grumpy twin who runs the last established market garden in suburban Adelaide.

I loved this book, it was just the right book at the time for me, with one of my favourite themes. Two people who spark off each other, without really accepting that they are attracted to each other and with a little twin rivalry thrown in. Fabiana was a great supporting character as Nella’s friend and I often had a happy smile on my face.
The story is also interspaced with Esta’s story on her arrival to Australia and the hardships she faced when learning the language and making friends. I was really drawn into this as my family came from overseas around the same time and settled not too far from the area in the novel.

If your looking for an easy, feel good novel, filled with some fantastic home style Italian recipes that don’t appear too hard at all (I’ve even have some ear marked to make), then this one might be the perfect one for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an arc to read.

This was a novel set in South Australia in the present time with flash backs to the 1950’s. It was about a young woman, Nella who inherits her grandmother’s house and market garden. Nella spends time at her grandmother’s house cleaning and packing up a house full of memories. Nella gradually learns to cook using her grandmother’s cook books and also develops a relationship with her Adrian. As a child Nella spent a lot of time with Adrian and his twin brother Davide. Adrian owns the market garden next door, and also has a lease on Nella’s market garden.
This is a romance novel about family relationships, friendships, market gardens and cooking. Throughout is a scattering of Italian recipes using fresh farm produce.

This book grew on me as I continued to read. At first I was not too keen on our leading lady Nella, but as I read she captured me and reeled me in. Adrian had me from the start, who doesn't enjoy a broody, hot guy who's got issues. This dual timeline novel allows us to meet Nella's nonna Esta and learn about her struggles in a new country and finding her place. Nella meantime has her own struggles going on and needs to find her place and her path. Full of interesting characters, this was a really enjoyable read. Interspersed with yummy Italian recipes, cooking and food play a huge part in this story, seeing as it's set in a suburban market garden this makes sense.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a copy in return for an honest review.

What a lovely book. 

The Right Place features Esta and Esta’s granddaughter, Nella. Esta’s story starts when she moves to Australia from Italy in the 50s. Esta struggles with homesickness as well as the language barrier. She and her husband run a market garden, Torrente Blu, in Adelaide and slowly, with the help of her passion for cooking, she starts to make friends, some fellow Italian immigrants and some Aussies. As the years go on, however, she still pines for her family and native Italy. 

With Esta’s death, Nella inherits Torrente Blu. Nella had been living in Melbourne but her dress shop there failed at the same time as her boyfriend dumped her and she decides to return to Torrente Blu. Her grand plan is, of course, to ready the property for sale. The fly in the ointment is her neighbour, Adrian.

Adrian leases the land of Torrente Blu, giving him two blocks of land to plant out his crops. Nella and Adrian were childhood neighbours and friends, growing up almost like siblings. Adrian is not too happy to see Nella, however. She not only has the power to ruin his business should she sell Torrente Blu, he also believes she’s turned her back on her nonna and Adelaide. To complicate matters further, Adrian’s twin brother, Davide, was Nella’s first love. Although I’m not a fan of love triangles, Caruso adds this plot line without making it tacky. I must say, in fact, that Adrian and Nella’s story was probably one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read for a while.

Up to Nella returning to Torrente Blu, she had little interest in gardening or cooking. Instead her passions were turned towards fashion but whilst cleaning out the house, Nella finds her nonna’s recipes and she starts to have rethink the direction of her life. The recipes are interspersed throughout the book. All Italian, of course, they literally made my mouth water. There is an index at the end of the book as well as extra recipes, as many as some recipe books I have purchased in the past. They make purchasing The Right Place double the worth. I’ll definitely give some of them a try.

I loved the Italian characters and especially the struggles Esta faced in the 50s. With so many people of Italian heritage living in Australia, we forget that once upon a time they, and their food, was considered quite different and ‘foreign’. (Although, if the Italians hadn’t come to Australia, my coffee dependency might not be such an issue. Hee.) 

I also enjoyed the Adelaide setting. I’ve never visited the city, but it’s definitely on my to-do list and Caruso’s books have a lot of influence in this area.

I think The Right Place should appeal to most audiences and I highly recommend it. I give it a 4 ½ out of 5.

Heartbroken, Nella Martini had packed her bags and left Melbourne without turning back. She arrived in her home town of Adelaide, to the home she’d known all her life – Torrente Blu, the market garden which had been her nonna and nonno’s life. Nella’s nonna had recently passed away and in her grief, Nella knew she had to go through the old home to prepare it for sale. She was determined to return to her dreams of the fashion industry – the money from the sale of Torrente Blu would set her up as she wanted.

Adrian Tomaso worked the market garden and had paid rent to Nella’s nonna. The arrangement was continuing, but Adrian was grumpy, surly and kept to himself. They were bound to clash – that was why Nella needed to have things done quickly. But the discovery of her nonna’s old cookbook – hand written with the fabulous Italian recipes she used to love – put a hold on her plans.

Esta Feliciano arrived in Australia with her daughter Olivia in 1950 after her husband Lucio had moved from their home in Italy, which had been decimated by the war, to establish himself for his family’s arrival. He loved Australia; Adelaide in particular – the small piece of land he’d named Torrente Blu was his pride and joy. But could his beloved wife accept and settle in the vast countryside under the scorching Australian sun?

As Nella’s plans unraveled, and new ideas took hold, she discovered things about her grandparents she had either forgotten or hadn’t known. The tomatoes of the market garden were edging their way into Nella’s heart. What was she to do? Where was home? Where was the right place?

The Right Place by Aussie author Carla Carusa – wow! What a fabulous story! Laden with wonderful Italian recipes; set in areas of Adelaide that I know; The Right Place felt familiar and completely perfect. The story takes place in the 1950s and current day – all in Adelaide. It tells the stories of two women – Esta and her granddaughter Nella. The Right Place is my first by this author; it won’t be my last. Most impressed – and highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.

A lovely, feelgood book that sees Nella, returning to her hometown in Adelaide after inheriting her Nonna's property. Her return reunites her with her childhood friend Adrian, who lives next door and leases part of her Nonna's property as a market garden. The reunion isn't necessarily a happy one, Adrian's surly temperament isn't helped by the memories of Nella's teenage relationship with Adrian's estranged brother Davide. Nella is persistent, however, and her visions of marketing the business, even though at odds with Adrian's introverted personality, slowly start to win him around. Then when things are looking rosy, Davide returns...
I really enjoyed this book, often smiling at the banter, sometimes wanting to slap Nella for being an idiot, putting what she had at risk for pipedreams. Carla Caruso really makes the characters come to life, I could see the tomatoes on the vine and smell the homemade cooking in the kitchen. The tantalising addition some mouthwatering recipes is a bonus. I can't wait to try some of them.
The only drawback I found with this book was the resolution was a little too quick, too neat. But all in all a very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more of the author's work in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will confess that it was the cover that initially drew me to The Right Place. It just has a gorgeous rustic appeal that had my fingers hovering. Then my eyes landed on the author name: Carla Caruso. Now, this is not Carla's first novel, but it is the first one of hers that I've read. She's no stranger to me though as I'm quite familiar with Carla's words from her frequent articles in the RWA member's publication, Hearts Talk. The point of this waffle is that while the cover and the author may have drawn me to The Right Place, it was the warmly welcoming story and the wonderfully authentic characters that pinned me to the novel for the better part of a weekend. In a nutshell, this novel was sublime perfection.

Carla writes in a manner that just scoops you up and plonks you down into her fictional world. I felt so immersed into this story, so entertained by the characters, particularly the larger than life ones like Fabiana, Nella's good friend. She was wonderful, I just loved her to bits! Nella herself was a genuine lead who I liked a lot. She had such a good heart and was always motivated to do the right thing in any situation. She didn't always get it right, but her intent was always genuine. I so enjoyed seeing her blossom in this life that she viewed as temporary, taking steps to take charge of her life in a way she hadn't previously. And I felt so bad for her every time Adrian, her grumpy yet glamorous neighbour, was mean or dismissive of her. She was like little miss sunshine, rolling with it and persevering. I do really enjoy a later in life coming of age story.

Nella's story was skillfully punctuated by that of her nonna's, in the years after Esta had immigrated to Australia. Nella finds her nonna's cookbook and this, along with other items that Nella unearths while cleaning up the house, form a link between the two women that connects their shared experiences across time. I loved the authenticity of Esta and her feelings about her new country. I shed a few tears here and there over Esta, her story was overall entirely moving. I particularly liked the friendship Esta developed with her neighbour Mabel, which wonderfully, despite their initial cultural barrier, stood the test of time.
“And in that moment, she realised that beneath their cultural differences, the countries of origin on their passports, they were the same too. Women. Wives. Nurturers.”
What really worked for me though with these sections was the seamless link between Esta and Nella. This was never at any point two stories running alongside separated by a generation. There was a symmetry to what Carla offered us, and a true purpose to her story. It was very well done.

Now, onto the grumpy neighbour, who really was just a wounded little boy hiding inside a tough man's body. I thought Adrian's story was rather sad, the origins of his rift with his brother and his estrangement from his mother. Even his complicated relationship with his father. But his love for his home and his work, his passion about market gardening, all weighed in his favour. There were some highly entertaining moments between him and Nella as she wheedled her way into his business and generally got under his skin. Despite his gruff and growl, I liked him a lot and was championing his triumph.

Set on a market garden, there is a strong food lit vibe to this story that had me salivating. Along with all of the vegetable pickling, pasta rolling, and passata making going on, Carla has also treated us with the inclusion of some authentic Italian family recipes. There's something about the combination of starting over, scrumptious food, good friends, and unexpected romance that works its magic over me.
“Even if things hadn't panned out exactly as she'd envisaged, even if they'd experienced good times and bad, her heart had never felt fuller. Sometimes you didn't know what you wanted in life until you had a chance to taste it, to allow the medley of flavours to fully sink in.”

The Right Place really hit all of the right notes for me. It's warm hearted, poignantly touching, delicious and romantic, with a bit of funny thrown in. A gorgeous addition to the growing category of food lit novels we are being treated to here in Australia. With the exception of those tears I shed over Esta, I pretty much had a huge smile on my face for the whole time I was reading this novel, and you really can't ask for more than that.

Thanks is extended to HarperCollins Publishers Australia via Netgalley for providing me with a copy of The Right Place for review.

Review to be published at www.theresasmithwrites.com and Goodreads in line with publication date.